Shard of Eden

by Eric Sammons

In the early 22nd century, the world is recovering from the Chaos Wars—the bloody AI revolt that left more than a billion dead and the planet in disarray. From the ashes of this conflict emerges a revitalized Vatican, with war hero Pope Gregory XIX leading the way.

Now Vatican scientists have detected a mysterious signal from deep space which does not appear to be natural. To investigate, the pope commissions the Stella Maris, the first ship capable of traveling faster than light and going beyond our solar system. Captained by Chaos Wars veteran Dominic Rourke, the crew of the Stella Maris will face many trials and have their most fundamental beliefs challenged in order to solve the mystery of the Signal.

Genres: Science Fiction

351 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 15, 2025

About the author

Eric Sammons is a professional writer/editor and the author of several books. He holds a degree in Systems Analysis with a concentration in Economics from Miami University in Ohio, and earned a Master of Theology degree from Franciscan University. With expertise in diverse areas, he has worked extensively in both software development and Catholic evangelization.

Eric and his beautiful wife Suzan have seven children. They currently reside in Ohio and are serious baseball fans. Eric's website "Swimming Upstream" may be found at www.ericsammons.com and he may be followed on Twitter @EricRSammons.

Reviews

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have yet to read anything from the pen of Eric Sammons that was not very well done. From some of his excellent non-fiction works such as Holiness for Everyone and Be Watchful to his wonderful fictional short story, The Profession. Since he released that short story I have been awaiting another fiction offering from his pen. This is that volume. The description of this book states:

“In the early 22nd century, the world is recovering from the Chaos Wars—the bloody AI revolt that left more than a billion dead and the planet in disarray. From the ashes of this conflict emerges a revitalized Vatican, with war hero Pope Gregory XIX leading the way.

Now Vatican scientists have detected a mysterious signal from deep space which does not appear to be natural. To investigate, the pope commissions the Stella Maris, the first ship capable of traveling faster than light and going beyond our solar system. Captained by Chaos Wars veteran Dominic Rourke, the crew of the Stella Maris will face many trials and have their most fundamental beliefs challenged in order to solve the mystery of the Signal.”

This story is masterfully written; it really draws the reader in and keeps their attention. The story is not written linearly. We have or main story of the mission that is going to take at least 16 years to investigate and return. But we also have flashbacks that give us insight into each of the characters, their motivations, their concerns, and even their hopes. It some ways this story is epic science fiction or space opera. It is speculative fiction at its best. A small crew, a mission they might not return from, a mission with the potential to change the future of humanity. And to be honest questions.

While reading this; I though often of the Catholic Truth Society volume; Artificial Intelligence by Father Andrew Pinsent and Sean Biggins and Robert Reed. And the story can be interpreted a few different ways. I would love to work through this with a group and compare the interpretations, especially after the epilogue.

This is a novel with a great plot, an excellent pace, the characters are complex and well written. Catholic Science Fiction is not something new, and some of the greats in the genre have been Catholic and woven their faith into their stories. Sammons has done that in this story. It is Science Fiction at its best! A story masterfully written that leaves you wanting more. When I read Eric’s story The Profession I wanted more stories in that work and have awaited them for a few years now. That feeling is even greater after reading this one.

Well done Eric! An excellent story I can easily recommend.

This book is part of a series of reviews: 2025 Catholic Reading Plan!

[Paul Uwemedimo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do not give five stars lightly

Not only very enjoyable, but it made me think a lot, made me want to praise the greatness of God and the beauty of his creation as well as be aware of the insidiousness of the devil and how easily sin can creep in and grow. Also reminds me of the importance of AI ethics and the massive potential of AI for both good and not just bad but also evil

[Glen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleased to find this book both satisfying and engaging. I'm used to the marriage of religion and sci-fi falling short (creating awkward rationalizations and plot holes), but Sammons puts a lot of time into integrating Christianity in his world in subtle and effective ways. The story allows glimpses into various areas of life, just enough so that you're convinced to buy into the assumption of an all-powerful Catholic church. Every character's different motivation for their participation in the mission across the stars makes for interesting interactions, and does a great job of glossing over the potential non-religious types of people in the story's world. By chapter 7, I was having too much fun and invested too much in the stakes to put the book down.

The main plot of visiting a signal from far across the galaxy is simple, but explores deeper questions about humanity, mortality, and morality. If this book was just an excuse for Sammons to wax poetic about the nature of sin, he put at least ten times as much effort into making the setting a believable and wild ride. Again, nothing about the plot is complicated or deeply layered, but that allows the book to focus on philosophy without splitting the reader's attention to the point of overwhelm. Since the book takes less than a century into the future, it's easier to take for granted the leaps in technology, as Sammons ties them back to technologies in our present day.

A word of warning: If you're unfamiliar with Catholicism, this book may be a bit of a struggle. The author has integrated the church into every facet of the world, so you may be confused or miss out on some depth of the plot without at least a base-level knowledge of Catholicism. There were a couple orders and terms I had to look up while reading, and my enjoyment of the story increased after doing so. That said, the overall themes of the book are accessible to anyone with a theological bent, and the core conflict can be understood from any deistic background.

Overall, this story really scratches a particular itch, presenting intersting theological quandaries in an enjoyable sci-fi setting with characters who are both believable and motivated.

[Mrs C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished Shard of Eden and it’s easily one of the best Catholic sci-fi novels I’ve read in years. The world-building is masterful: humanity is still picking up the pieces after the Chaos Wars (humanity vs. rogue AI), and Pope Gregory XIX has commissioned the starship Stella Maris to chase a mysterious pulsing signal 1,200 light-years away. Sixteen years round-trip, no cryo-sleep, no shortcuts.

The six-person crew is perfect: scarred veterans, brilliant scientists, and priests who actually know their faith. There is also a Filipino priest hand-picked by the Pope himself to proclaim the Gospel if they meet anyone out there who needs it.

The author takes the time to flesh out the characters through flashbacks from before the expedition, either during the Chaos wars or in the aftermath. This gave readers a good feel for who is who on this crew and makes them sympathetic.

What elevates the book from good to great is how seamlessly the author weaves rock-solid Catholic theology into the narrative. It never preaches; it simply is—the air the characters breathe, the lens through which they face wonder and terror. Grace, sin, redemption, the communion of saints, the inevitability of the Cross—it’s all there, organic and breathtaking, without ever choking the pulse-pounding tension.

Shard of Eden is imaginative, thought-provoking, and genuinely thrilling. More importantly, it’s proof that a distinctly Catholic imagination can produce science fiction that rivals anything in the genre.

**Many thanks to the author for access to a review copy to evaluate and I received no compensation for this review.

[Richard Grebenc · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the author announced that his first novel was coming out -- a sci-fi offering set near the end of the 21st century -- I was intrigued but somewhat skeptical. I appreciated much of his past work and knew he was a talented writer, but fiction is another matter. But, I gave it a shot.

To say I was pleasantly surprised with the result of this new book, is an understatement. This quickly became a page-turner that I read overtime to finish as I was eager to find out how things turn out. While it certainly has a Catholic flavor, let this not turn off anyone. The story is interesting and intriguing. A wonderful blend of theology, philosophy, physics, and computers (the focus is AI), any engaged person will find thought-provoking material here, regardless of one's predilections in any of these areas.

The author's use of jumping back and forth chronologically with certain chapters is effective in helping to clarify historical and personal backgrounds. And his in-depth knowledge of all the areas previously mentioned is impressive (frankly, I got lost a bit at times because some of the science was beyond me).

Great for any sci-fi fan, but especially worth seeking out for the Catholic science fiction enthusiast. A worthy first effort that leaves open the possibility of a sequel.

[Justin Petrovich · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall this was interesting but not great. The writing was meh, noticeably repetitive in parts. And despite the chapter flashbacks for we each character, they were by and large cartoonish or caricatures. I did really enjoy the plot though and he did a nice job of using it to explore interesting theological questions. Much like a Strange Planet cartoon, sometimes it takes explaining something to an alien to drive home how odd or awful or wonderful something is.

[John Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super fun page turner, I’m not the biggest sci fi fan, but it was a fun twist on a common genre. It set up well for a series or sequel. I did have issues at time with constant timeline hopping interrupting the continuity and flow of the story. Some aspects of the world built in the book did also seem outlandish, but any sci fi will require some suspension of disbelief

[JD · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not great but not bad either. Could lighten up on the crutch words "profound", "fundamental" & "elegant" but an interesting read nonetheless.